Play VALORANT’s Newest Agent: Waylay – Everything You Need to Know

March 1, 2025 Joshua Brunhoff

VALORANT has just introduced Waylay, the latest Duelist hailing from Thailand, in Episode 7, Act II. With an arsenal focused on speed, disruption, and light manipulation, Waylay is set to shake up the meta with her unique ability to outmaneuver enemies and control engagements. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about this brand-new Agent.

Waylay’s Role and Background

Role: Duelist
Origin: Thailand
Release Date: March 5, 2025

Waylay specializes in agility and battlefield control, using her radiant light-based abilities to confuse, hinder, and overpower her opponents. She brings a new debuff mechanic called "Hindering", which slows enemies’ movement and disrupts their weapon handling.

Waylay’s Abilities

Refract (E - Signature Ability)

Waylay places a beacon of light on the ground. Reactivating this ability allows her to instantly return to the beacon’s location as a mote of pure light, making her invulnerable during the transition. This ability allows for strategic repositioning, mind games, and evasive plays.

Light Speed (Q)

Waylay gains a burst of speed, with two different activation options:

Primary fire: Dash twice in rapid succession.
Alternate fire: Perform one powerful dash, potentially upward.

This high-mobility ability gives her an edge in offensive engagements and quick escapes.

Saturate (C)

Waylay throws a cluster of light that explodes upon contact with the ground, applying the Hindering debuff to enemies caught in the blast. This debuff significantly slows movement and weapon handling, making it difficult for enemies to react effectively.

Convergent Paths (X - Ultimate)

Waylay channels radiant energy to create an afterimage that projects a beam of light. After a short delay, she gains increased speed, and the beam expands, applying the Hindering debuff to all enemies in the area.

This disruptive ultimate forces enemies to reposition, making it ideal for executing site takes or clutching rounds.

New Debuff: Hindering

Waylay introduces the Hindering debuff, which affects enemy performance by:

Slowing movement speed
Reducing fire rate
Increasing recoil recovery time
Delaying weapon equip time
Extending reload speed
Reducing jump speed

This debuff can be game-changing, forcing enemies into disadvantageous fights while Waylay and her team capitalize on their slowed reactions.

How to Play Waylay Effectively

Key Strengths

High Mobility: Her dashes and teleportation make her incredibly difficult to pin down.
Zone Control: Hindering abilities allow her to delay enemy pushes and weaken opponents before engagements.
Mind Games: Refract enables baiting, outmaneuvering, and unpredictable repositioning.

Best Playstyle

Waylay excels when played aggressively, using her speed and disruption to dictate the pace of a fight. She’s especially powerful when:

Diving into enemy backlines to force confusion.
Engaging in 1v1 duels, where her speed and Hindering debuff give her an edge.
Defending bomb sites, using Saturate and Convergent Paths to delay and disorient attackers.

How Waylay Stacks Up Against Other Duelists

Waylay brings a fresh twist to the Duelist role, blending Jett’s mobility with Reyna’s repositioning and adding a unique debuff mechanic that no other Duelist possesses. Compared to:

Jett → More grounded movement, but better disruption tools.
Raze → Less explosive, but more tactical engagement control.
Reyna → Less healing, but stronger strategic repositioning.

Expect Waylay to shake up the competitive scene as players master her light-based movement and battlefield control.

Community Reactions

Players are already buzzing about Waylay’s potential. Discussions highlight:

Her ability to replace Jett in certain compositions.
Her utility as an anti-entry Duelist, slowing down enemy rushes.
Her powerful movement, which rewards skilled players who can use her dashes and teleports effectively.

With her fresh mechanics and high skill ceiling, Waylay is set to dominate in ranked play and pro-level tournaments.

Final Thoughts

Waylay is one of the most unique Duelists introduced to VALORANT, bringing a combination of speed, deception, and crowd control to the battlefield. Whether you’re looking to outplay enemies with her teleporting tricks or disrupt entire teams with her Hindering debuff, Waylay promises to be a game-changer in Episode 7, Act II.

Get ready to master the light and take over matches with Waylay—VALORANT’s newest Duelist!